A criminal complaint was filed against the actor with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) Kimberlee Speakman is a digital writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. She has also worked in broadcast television as a reporter for Hawaii-based news station KHON2 News. The incident allegedly took place in Cannes I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Jean-Claude Van Damme is reportedly the subject of criminal charges in Romania over allegations that he knowingly engaged in sexual relations with women trafficked by a criminal group The 64-year-old action star, known for his performances in Street Fighter and Double Impact is accused of receiving five Romanian women as a “gift” from a group of traffickers while in Cannes According to a report by the local CNN affiliate Antena 3 a criminal complaint has been filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) The Independent has approached Van Damme’s representatives and DIICOT for comment DIICOT launched their investigation after a woman allegedly witnessed the incident at an event organized by Van Damme in Cannes and shared what she had seen with prosecutors Cuculis added that “the person who received those benefits knew their condition,” and that the women "were in a state of vulnerability with the suspicion that they were exploited within the meaning of Article 182 of the Criminal Code." Cuculis told Antena 3 that the incident is part of a larger investigation into human trafficking and the trafficking of minors that has been carried out since 2020 by the Romanian Prosecutor's Office The outlet also reports that as the incident occurred in Cannes France’s High Court of Cassation will have to authorize criminal proceedings before the suspects identified in the case can be summoned to Romania to give statements Van Damme has been a mainstream action star since getting his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport in 1988. His more recent roles include playing the villain in The Expendables 2 in 2012 and providing voice work for the 2022 family film Minions: The Rise of Gru In 2021, a director for the sitcom Friends said Van Damme was “unprepared and arrogant” during his guest appearance on the show. He starred as himself in the second season episode “The One After the Super Bowl,” in which he was romantically pursued by both Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) While he hasn’t responded to director Michael Lembeck’s comments, Van Damme told the New York Post in 2023 that he was “ashamed” of his acting in the episode. “My acting is so bad. I look so like a ham. Like, ‘Hey, girls.’ […] It’s like, I’m ashamed of myself,” said Van Damme. “So then I was on the set, and those girls, they go and they kiss me and they kiss me on the lips. I didn’t know what to do, how to do … It was strange. They were very nice.” He added he knew little about the hit sitcom, saying: “I didn’t know much about the show. So when I go to the show, I see those two beautiful girls and they say this is the hottest show right now in the world. So I was very glad.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty A representative for the "Street Fighter" and "Bloodsport" actor the reported claims "are both grotesque and non-existent." Van Damme does not wish to comment on or fuel this rumor which is as absurd as it is unfounded," his agent On Tuesday, the Romanian government's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism confirmed to USA TODAY that a complaint against Van Damme was submitted April 2 the complaint "was transmitted to the Territorial Service for competent resolution." The agency also noted that the contents of any reports "pending before the criminal investigation bodies" is not made public news of the complaint against Van Damme emerged via reports from various Romanian news outlets An alleged victim came forward to provide testimony The claim reportedly emerged amid DIICOT's investigation into a network engaged in human trafficking DIICOT will continue to gather evidence before Romanian prosecutors determine whether to initiate criminal proceedings a Belgium-born martial artist-turned actor "Bloodsport" was his breakout role in 1988 and he went on achieve action icon status through films like 1989's "Kickboxer," 1991's "Double Impact," 1994's "Street Fighter" and 1997's "Double Team" He also appeared in "The Expendables 2" (2012) and the one-season Amazon Prime Video series "Jean-Claude Van Johnson," which was produced by Ridley Scott Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission it is very clear that Jean-Claude Van Damme knew that these people were being exploited.” The incident with Van Damme is part of a larger investigation into human trafficking by Bolea The investigation began in 2020 in Romania If the High Court of Cassation in France authorizes criminal proceedings suspects will be summoned to Romania to give statements Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A criminal allegation has been filed in Romania against actor Jean-Claude Van Damme A woman filed the allegation with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) naming the 64-year-old Belgian film star he was given five women trafficked from Romania does not allege any personal contact with Van Damme but links the actor to alleged victims who were taken to an event in Cannes people can lodge a criminal allegation without being the alleged victim in the case Newsweek, which has obtained a copy of the allegation, sought comment from Van Damme on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter The case highlights the international scope of alleged trafficking networks Romanian authorities are now tasked with verifying the claims and locating the five women she includes extracts from a deposition made by a woman whom Newsweek will identify by the initials L.D made a written deposition to a general prosecutor's office in Iași as part of a larger investigation into sex trafficking alleges that a Romanian businessman brought her and two other women she knew to Cannes in southern France to work as models they discovered that it wasn't the Cannes film festival but a smaller festival partly organized by a Romanian fashion TV executive and which included Van Damme alleged that the five women she didn't know were given to Van Damme as a gift from the manager who had brought them to the festival One of her managers at the Cannes event told her that she was lucky that she had special protection and didn't have to do such things She complained that they weren't given enough food, only small amounts from McDonald's and that occasionally they would go to dinner with their boss' clients but this wasn't enough food either told Newsweek that his client is "one of the victims in another case of child trafficking and prostitution in Iași "[L.D] saw directly that five girls Van Damme took to his hotel room," he alleged "We are trying to find those girls to make a complaint and speak out about what happened in Cannes," he said The fate of the criminal allegation will depend on whether police can locate the five women who were allegedly taken to Van Damme's room Update 4/9/2025: This article was updated to clarify details of the criminal allegation Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Action star has broken his silence on the accusation Jean-Claude Van Damme has denied accusations he knowingly engaged in sexual relations with women trafficked by a criminal group The action film star, whose credits include Street Fighter and Bloodsport, has spoken out after reportedly finding himself the subject of criminal charges in Romania over the claims Last week, it was alleged that Van Damme received five Romanian women as a “gift” from a group of traffickers while in Cannes France – but the actor’s agent has hit back at the “unfounded” claims “We have become aware of articles alleging an alleged affair in Cannes involving Mr Jean-Claude Van Damme,” Patrick Goavec said in a statement He told People: “The reported facts are both grotesque and non-existent Mr Van Damme does not wish to comment or fuel this rumour The news originally surfaced after a report by the local CNN affiliate Antena 3 who alleged that a criminal complaint had been filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) DIICOT launched their investigation after a woman allegedly witnessed the incident at an event organised by Van Damme and shared what she claimed she had seen with prosecutors Cuculis added that “the person who received those benefits knew their condition,” and that the women “were in a state of vulnerability with the suspicion that they were exploited within the meaning of Article 182 of the Criminal Code” Antena 3 was also told the alleged incident is part of a larger investigation by the Romanian Prosecutor’s Office into human trafficking Former bodybuilder Van Damme made his big break into action films in the 1980s, and led cult martial arts film Bloodsport in 1988. His other credits include Kickboxer he has played a villainous role in The Expendables 2 and provided voice work for the 2022 family film Minions: The Rise of Gru In 2021, a director for the sitcom Friends said Van Damme was “unprepared and arrogant” during his guest appearance on the show. While he hasn’t responded to director Michael Lembeck’s comments, Van Damme told the New York Post in 2023 that he was “ashamed” of his acting in the episode. “My acting is so bad.... I’m ashamed of myself,” said Van Damme. “So then I was on the set, and those girls, they go and they kiss me and they kiss me on the lips. I didn’t know what to do, how to do … It was strange. They were very nice.” He added he knew little about the hit sitcom, saying: “I didn’t know much about the show. So when I go to the show, I see those two beautiful girls and they say this is the hottest show right now in the world. So I was very glad.” Van Damme has been married five times – twice to female bodybuilder Gladys Portugues in 1987 and, after divorcing in 1992, again in 1999. They are still together now. The actor has three children. 'The Splitter’ is the game’s next elusive target I’ve got a strange relationship with the stealth sandbox murderbox that is Hitman: World of Assassination If you were to ask me to list my favourite games the latest Hitman trilogy would be in the top five I must have gotten intimidated at some point with the amount of new updates and all the spiffy unlockable suits I was missing out on and just haven’t touched it in a couple of years now Is the appearance of Jean-Claude Van Damme as the game’s newest elusive target enough to reel me back in but I will say that I doubt Sean Bean can stretch his legs like that even with the legendary flexibility offered by O2's famously variable plans The actor formerly known as Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg is making his appearance as Max Valliant an ex-assassin for Ian Hitman’s current employer although I can’t mention her without regurgitating my favourite Diana fact which is that Canadian actress Jane Perry practised her accent by imitating British newsreader Fiona Bruce Anyway - Valiant was assassinated 20 years ago after becoming a liability and has taken over an ICA facility in Chongqing you’ll be escorting an ICA board member to a meeting with the ex-assassin I imagine the meeting will probably get murder-y No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission Rock Paper Shotgun is a registered trademark of Gamer Network Limited the actor got his big break as the lead in the martial arts film “Bloodsport” from 1988 He’s known for other roles including “Cyborg,” “Lionheart,” “Nowhere to Run,” “Street Fighter,” his directorial debut “The Quest,” and many others. In this photo from May 18 Van Damme poses for photographers during a photocall at the Noga Hilton hotel rooftop during the 56th Cannes film festival Scroll through to revisit the actor's career Kris Van Damme and his father Jean-Claude Van Damme attend the 2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards at iHeartRadio Theater on Jan Jean-Claude Van Damme poses during a photocall for the world launch of the Amazon Prime series "Jean-Claude Van Johnson" on Dec Jean-Claude Van Damme poses in front of his statue during its inauguration on Oct Jean-Claude Van Damme attends 'The Expendables 2' UK film premiere at Empire Leicester Square Jean-Claude Van Damme poses during a photocall on the sidelines of the 61st Cannes International Film Festival on May 17 Jean-Claude Van Damme is presented his trophy by Kamal Dandona during the 2004 Bollywood Fashion Awards at the Trump Taj Mahal on April 30 Jean-Claude Van Damme talks with the media during a photocall on the roof at the Noga Hilton during 56th International Cannes Film Festival on May 18 Jean-Claude Van Damme at a press conference to promote his latest film "Replicant" at a hotel in Tokyo Jean-Claude Van Damme performs one of his trademark kicks for photographers during the Harrods Department store "Summer Sale" July 4 Jean-Claude Van Damme smiles to the camera at the lobby of a Beirut hotel after his arrival on July 21 Jean-Claude Van Damme poses for the photographer during the 53rd Cannes Film Festival in 2000 and Letsile Tebogo sat down for a few comments in preparation for the 2024 Diamond League finals Picture by JASPER JACOBS/Belga/AFP via Getty ImagesBy Grace GouldingThe rainy skies above Brussels set a dramatic stage for the 2024 Diamond League finals from 13-14 September all looking to end the season with a diamond trophy in their hands With more 80 Olympic medals poised for action, all eyes are on Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, Femke Bol, and Letsile Tebogo , who shared their thoughts in a press conference ahead of the two-day event. 🥇","event":null,"destination_url":"","entry_point_tag":"base","entry_point_type":"instory_campaign"}" data-tracking="click" href="https://www.olympics.com/en/sign-in?entry_point_type=instory_campaign&entry_point_tag=base&template=base&origin=https%3A%2F%2Folympics.com%2Fen%2Folympic-channel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now For Swedish pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis it has been a “ridiculous season”—his words it feels like there’s still something left to do.” With three Diamond League titles already under his belt You always want to end the year on a high note and I think that kind of motivation keeps you going My goal is to picture myself holding that trophy once again.” perhaps a fourth world record of the year is also around the corner ExclusiveMondo Duplantis | Born to FlyThe intimate story of Mondo Duplantis and his rise to fame from child prodigy to the greatest pole vaulter of all time Mondo broke the World Record and won Olympic Gold accomplishing the lifelong dreams of a passionate child “A lot of amazing things have happened, not just for me but also for my country in the relays, which I’m really proud of,” Bol shared with a smile. “It’s been great, and I hope to finish strong here in Brussels, close to home.” For Bol, these finals mark the end of a long and successful year, having won all of the Diamond League events she entered this year. “You work towards this moment with every meet, and this is where you can finish it on a high note, just like you’ve done all season.” Can she carry her winning streak until the end? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wanda Diamond League (@diamondleagueathletics) Botswana's Letsile Tebogo is also eager to secure one last title a first for him in the Diamond League finals Aside from becoming the first African to win the Olympic 200m title he has won the diamond league events in Monaco the latest in 19.55 seconds in similar rainy and chilly conditions he’s chasing one more victory and possibly the stadium record at King Baudouin Stadium no one thought 19.5 was possible in those conditions The stadium record here is definitely within reach And to end it with a gold medal and a Diamond League trophy would mean everything to me.” “It’s two Africans against the rest of the world and I believe it’s going to be a great race.” ExclusiveHighlightsLetsile Tebogo of Botswana claims men's 200m gold | Paris 2024 highlightsBotswana's Letsile Tebogo powered past the American duo of Kenneth Bednarek and Noah Lyles to take the gold medal in the men's 200m at the Paris 2024 Olympics in a new African record time of 19.62 seconds Watch Paris 2024 live here: https://olympics.app.link/7K8KpfMN8Kb The athletes wrapped up the press conference with lighthearted banter as questions about the 100m exhibition race between Duplantis and Warholm resurfaced When asked who they’d like to face off against in the future He looked directly at his neighbor: “I’d like to race Femke over 400m.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Back-to-back victories for Soudal Quick-Step’s talented junior Thibaut Van Damme had an excellent weekend in Gent’s Flemish Cycling Center Eddy Merckx where Belgium’s National Track Championships were held who will sport the colours of our junior team this season showed off the Soudal Quick-Step kit for the first time and made sure he would make it a memorable outing Thibaut kicked things off by blasting to an impressive victory in the 1km race the others tried to put Van Damme under pressure by relentlessly attacking him in the second part of the race but our rider kept his calm and scored enough points to make sure the win would be his “During the warm-up I had great legs and was really motivated I had a perfect start in the 1km event and won it with the time I had in my mind before the race which made me really happy and confident for the next appointment In the points race I went on the offensive right from the start and got a lot of points in the sprints Then I tried to keep the race under control and managed to shut down the many attacks that came I’m incredibly happy with how things went for me taking two gold medals here is a really great start to the season in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey to know how many times a particular page is read We only use this information to improve the content of our website These cookies are only placed after you have given your consent Actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme is reportedly facing criminal charges in Romania The media outlet said at least five women were involved. The women, according the report, were allegedly trafficked by a criminal group led by Morel Bolea, a Romanian businessman who owns a modeling agency. The outlet, citing the attorney, said the women "were in a state of vulnerability, with the suspicion that they were exploited within the meaning of Article 182 of the Criminal Code." Van Damme, who is 64, rose to fame during the 1980s for his roles in action movies. A few of biggest roles include hits from the 1990s, such as "Cyborg" and "Street Fighter." by Ian Walker LinkImage: IO InteractiveIan Walker loves exploring niche communities and researching the development of classic video games.Belgian actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme will debut in Hitman: World of Assassination on Dec “The Splitter,” as the new content is known features Van Damme in the role of Max Valliant a former ICA agent who somehow avoided a previous assassination attempt several years prior Agent 47 will need to infiltrate the rainy streets and underground data facility of Chongqing susses out Valliant’s “sinister agenda,” and finally puts the fellow assassin down for good “Max Valliant is quite the entertaining character, bringing a lot of action movie villain energy, he is ruthless, and of course, he can do the split!” Van Damme said, referring to own penchant for performing the splits in his movies and stunts. “The Splitter is a thrilling mission and like in any good action flick, Hitman players will have a few surprises, but I’ll let them find out by themselves.” Like all elusive targets, The Splitter cannot be attempted again if failed (restarting is always allowed, of course) and has a hard end date, this time Jan. 12, 2025. Paid downloadable content will provide endless retries in arcade mode as well as a new SMG, kukri knife, and cosmetics based on the mission. And finally, the new “Season of the Splitter” roadmap will feature three missions developed by the Hitman community, new featured contracts, and the return of past elusive targets. The best of Polygon in your inbox, every Friday. Notices are posted by 10 am Monday through Saturday Adjust Text Size: A+ A- Clayton Van Damme passed away peacefully with family by his side on Friday in the comfort of his friend’s home.Clay was born in Russell the middle child with sisters Lisa and Sherry.Clay was a lover of animals as a child and continued into his adulthood He grew up on a farm and learned to operate most farming equipment and always had an interest in mechanics so would read books on how to tear apart engines He loved fast muscle vehicles and to the very end he continued to redesign his Ford 150 truck which was his pride and joy always in meticulous shape and shining like a silvery moon.Clay left home at an early age to explore working for a living and spent many summers with his Uncle Ivan learning the trade of construction to building complete structures from scratch kayaking and would enjoy shooting the rapids in the spring He had a love for music and his favorite thing to do was watch movies Clay had a great sense of humor and would help anyone in need with a kind full heart.Clay had many career changes from Dorn Construction masonry in Ingnias to Dryden where he worked for an Aussie He worked for Gaiser Construction for 15 years and from there went out on his own as the demand for good carpentry was high there were many people waiting for his expertise.When cancer reared its ugly head in the spring of 2023 which led to an ongoing battle of many surgeries He met it head on and fought a very hard fight He never wanted to be hospitalized so we did palliative at home and that is where he said his goodbyes Clay was blessed and survived by his three children which he was so proud of Alyssa (Dean) and Ryden; mother Mary (Wes); father Roger (Jean); sisters Lisa (Jarred) and family Sherry; grandmother Jessie; his very special kitten Ausha; and as he always said his best friend on the planet Audrey (Doreen) Clay’s aunts and uncles Dennis (Betty Anne) and Randy (Leslee) played an important part in his life and were always there when called upon Clay was predeceased by his aunt Dorothy Sanders (nee Van Damme) and uncle Jerry Timmerman We would like to thank the team at CancerCare and the volunteers; Melissa Peters at Palliative Care and Trina Martins with Homecare they allowed Clay to stay in the comfort of my home until the end Special thanks to Joe Ball for all his support and visits with Clay and Sherry; his very special kitten Ausha; and as he always said his best friend on the planet Audrey (Doreen) and Ivan and aunt Dorothy who predeceased him played an important part in his life and were always there when called upon.We would like to thank the team at CancerCare Share your memories and/or express your condolences below Unfortunately with the need to moderate tributes for inappropriate content your comments may take up to 48 hours to appear Hitman has a new celebrity Elusive Target and it's none other than The Muscles From Brussels The '90s action movie icon will portray Max Valliant a legendary former ICA operative taken out by his own agency after he was found doing deals with the wrong people but I was a big JCVD fan back in the day: Films like Bloodsport and Universal Soldier (I don't care what anyone says it was good) were staples of my younger years and more than enough to cement his place in the upper tiers of the action star pantheon I suppose I am also obligated to note his starring turn as Colonel Guile in Street Fighter when IO Interactive unveiled Van Damme as its new Elusive Target his character in Hitman looks to be a cartoonishly exaggerated version of his real life persona: "Max Valliant is a ruthless and unforgiving assassin whose only weakness seems to be his self-confidence," and yeah that's a reference to Van Damme's trademark move which was famous enough that Volvo used it in an ad for its trucks in 2012 That ad has pulled in more than one million likes on YouTube which I would say is pretty good for a spot about commercial vehicles McGregor's behaviors were well known long before his Hitman appearance which could reasonably lead one to wonder why IO signed him in the first place Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals The Splitter is set to arrive in Hitman on December 12 and will hang around until January 12 offering permanent access to the Replication a two-level Arcade contract featuring The Splitter as well as various Van Damme-inspired cosmetics Andy ChalkSocial Links NavigationUS News LeadAndy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80 From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014 when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes President of Belgian Football Association Pascale van Damme GENEVA (AP) — Belgian soccer federation president Pascale van Damme is set join FIFA’s ruling council after being the only candidate to run for a seat reserved for a female official from Europe Van Damme will run unopposed and is set to be elected at a UEFA meeting on April 3 in Belgrade a former 2006 Turin Olympics official with close ties to the Juventus-owning Agnelli family who leaves after more than eight years in the role Each of soccer’s six continental confederations has a place reserved for a woman on the FIFA decision-making body and none has ever elected a woman in a contested vote against men UEFA also is set to re-elect four men to the FIFA council on April 3 without any rival candidates: Răzvan Burleanu of Romania Bernd Neuendorf of Germany and Dejan Savićević of Montenegro All of the European candidates for FIFA positions each one the president of their national soccer body 3 deadline to enter the elections and must pass an eligibility check managed by the world soccer body The promising Belgian took his first victory of the year on the road Thibaut Van Damme won the opening stage of the Tour du Bocage et de l’Ernée 53 the French race running its third edition this weekend comprising five small classified climbs before an uphill drag to the line The race came to life long before the finish when a small but strong group rode away as the peloton fragmented under the numerous attacks that came Soudal Quick-Step U19 had two riders there – Thibaut Van Damme and Maksymilian Matyasik – and the duo’s combined effort was instrumental in helping the group stay away outsprinting his opponents on the way to our junior’s team first win of the season A success on the road that came just two months after Thibaut became double national champion on the track and a result that puts him in the leader’s jersey ahead of Sunday’s two half-stages: the individual time trial in the morning and the undulating road race in the afternoon Jean-Claude Van Damme is setting the record straight after facing serious allegations linked to a criminal investigation in Romania The action movie legend is responding to claims that he knowingly engaged physically with five women who were allegedly victims of sexual exploitation at an event in Cannes Van Damme’s agent Patrick Goavec didn’t mince words “We have become aware of articles alleging an alleged affair in Cannes involving Mr “The reported facts are both grotesque and non-existent Van Damme does not wish to comment or fuel this rumor The response comes shortly after CNN affiliate Antena 3 reported that a criminal complaint had been filed with Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) had intimate encounters with five Romanian women at a Cannes event that he hosted—women who were reportedly offered to him by a criminal group led by Morel Bolea the women were described as Romanian photo models and allegedly presented as a “gift” to the actor with the suspicion that they were exploited within the meaning of Article 182 of the Criminal Code.” at an event organized by Jean-Claude Van Damme several Romanians who are currently being investigated for the establishment of a criminal group and pimping allegedly offered Jean-Claude Van Damme five Romanian women — photo models in Romania — for him to have sexual relations [with].” “The person who received those benefits knew their condition Antena 3 reported that one of the witnesses relayed their account to prosecutors prompting DIICOT to launch a criminal investigation involving the actor Morel Bolea denied any association with Van Damme Bolea stated the story was “completely fake news” and insisted he had “no connection with” the martial arts star Attorney Cuculis also told the outlet that the investigation is part of a broader case into human exploitation including a five-year probe that involves trafficking and reportedly includes cases involving minors Van Damme’s team is maintaining a strong denial and choosing not to fan the flames of what they call an unfounded narrative The 11-year-old young royal took part in the special tea festivity Jenna Ortega's 'Wednesday' season 2 has been teased by the makers Prince Harry dragged through the mud with Thomas Markle comparison Barry Williams opens up about portraying Greg Brady in 'The Brady Bunch' Blake Lively talks about ongoing controversy at 'Another Simple Favor' promotion 'Beautiful Things' singer Benson Boone shares candid moments from his first-ever 'SNL' appearance Copyright © 2025. The News International, All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Authors The time is here. It’s what many of the world’s top track and field athletes have been working toward since April – the final event of the 2024 Wanda Diamond League season They’ve traveled the globe for as many as 14 previous events hoping to compile enough points to qualify for this two-day Men’s and women’s qualifiers in 16 disciplines will converge upon King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels for the latest edition of Allianz Memorial Van Damme aka Diamond League Brussels The year certainly has been eventful for these competitors. Along with their preparation for the Diamond League, many participated in national team trials within their home countries with their sights set on qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris Those who managed to reach the ultimate stage likely amped up their training before heading to the City of Light which hosted the Olympics from July 26 through Aug The track and field portion of the Games was held Aug whether they were looking to continue their momentum or find redemption remained in Europe to compete in Diamond League events in Switzerland it was necessary in order to earn enough points to qualify for Brussels where the prize money and prestige are greater This is the culmination of so much hard work The first seven events on the 2024 Diamond League schedule took place between April 20 and June 2 a month-long hiatus allowed many countries to finalize their teams and plans for the Olympic Games Diamond League action resumed briefly with events in Paris (July 7) Post-Olympic Diamond League events have brought them to Lausanne is where they’ll have one more chance to prove who’s the best – for this year The host venue – King Baudouin Stadium – has been around for nearly a century It is owned by the City of Brussels and was designed and constructed in the late 1920s It was inaugurated in August 1930 as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Belgian independence.  it can sit almost 50,000 spectators.  Recent changes to the facility came in 2023 and 2024 – new seats throughout locker room renovations and top-of-the-line accommodations for media.  To learn more about the stadium, click HERE The 2024 Diamond League season kicked off at the end of April with a pair of stops in China – Xiamen and Shanghai/Suzhou – and then visited Qatar on May 10 London (London Athletics Meet) on July 20, Lausanne (Athletissima) on Aug Silesia (Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial) on Aug In the 14 regular-season events so far this year each has included a handful of events for men and for women – usually seven each – with the top performers earning prize money and points toward the Brussels meet Since this is the final meet of the 2024 Diamond League season the schedule will include all 16 disciplines featured this year in Diamond League events.  The invitation-only Diamond League brings together standout track & field athletes to showcase their skills and ultimately elevate the status of athletics across the globe.  On the line at each event - $10,000 for a win at a regular event and $30,000 for a win in the final event The disciplines featured in Brussels in 2024 will be: Among the entrants for Allianz Memorial Van Damme 2024 will be:  There are only some of the world and Olympic champions who will be in Belgium.  To see who’s scheduled to compete in Brussels in 2024 once the final list is posted, click HERE.  live coverage of Allianz Memorial Van Damme 2024 will be provided by Peacock on both days of competition It is one of the many Diamond League events being broadcast this year on Peacock and/or NBC or one of the other related networks editorial content and more and will do so for all Diamond League events in 2024 FloTrack will be the streaming home of the Diamond League for audiences in the United States and its territories (with the exception of any events being held in the United States Read the entire announcement: The Diamond League Is Streaming On FloTrack Starting In 2025 *Official Diamond League championship event The order of events for the day and their starting times (local time) can be found HERE The time difference from Brussels to the Eastern Time Zone is six hours To follow the FloTrack coverage, click HERE Results for the Diamond League event in Brussels will be available here. The league’s official site can be found HERE Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events. Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions Get the most important Track & Field stories delivered straight to your inbox Flickering Myth April 16, 2025 by Infinite Statue has unveiled its upcoming Frank Dux sixth scale figure which is spired by the likeness of Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 1988 martial arts cult classic Bloodsport Check out both the Standard and the Deluxe Versions of the collectible below… SEE ALSO: Enter The Muscles from Brussels: The Jean-Claude Van Damme Tournament Fight Film Sideshow and Infinte Statue are excited to present the Frank Dux Sixth Scale Figure Inspired by his legendary performance in the martial arts classic Bloodsport this highly detailed figure is a must-have for collectors and fans of the Muscles from Brussels Don’t miss your chance to add this Frank Dux Sixth Scale Figure to your Bloodsport collection today This deluxe edition features Frank Dux’s signature Bloodsport fighting outfit with the Red Karate Gi and the second interchangeable head Amie Cranswick has been part of Flickering Myth’s editorial and management team for over a decade She has a background in publishing and copyediting and has served as Editor-in-Chief of FlickeringMyth.com since 2023 Jean-Claude Van Damme is facing criminal charges in Romania following an alleged incident in Cannes The B-movie action star is accused of having sex with five trafficked women who were delivered as a “gift” from independent festival organizers working in conjunction with a Romanian television executive That’s according to a report from Newsweek The person filing the complaint did not have contact with Van Damme; however “is one of the victims in another case of child trafficking and prostitution in Romania,” according to her attorney and one of eight women (including the five alleged victims) lured to Southern France to work as “models.” Van Damme has yet to comment on the allegations Former kickboxer Andrew Tate was recently in the news for his own sex trafficking complaint in Romania, which continues to play out in the media the case can only move forward if investigators are able to locate and depose the alleged victims The investigation began after a model reported that she had been deceived with the promise of participating in an event during the Cannes Film Festival The Directorate for Combating Terrorism and Organized Crime of Romania (Diicot) has opened an investigation into human trafficking involving the Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van DammeThe Iasi Prosecutor's Office has initiated criminal proceedings against the actor on charges of using the services of an exploited person forming an organized criminal group and human trafficking The investigation began after a model reported that she had been deceived with the promise of attending an event during the Cannes Film Festival the young woman discovered that it was a private event for the launch of a series starring Van Damme “I saw Mirea take five girls and offer them to Van Damme,” the witness said The investigation also involves Morel Bolea founder of the Kasta Morrely association in Iasi already arrested in 2020 for child trafficking the Iasi group recruited girls through a modeling agency and a non-governmental organization and then sexually exploited them through psychological coercion Read also other news on Nova News Click here and receive updates on WhatsApp Follow us on the social channels of Nova News on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram Antena 3 said a complaint was recently filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) after the actor knowingly engaged in sexual activity with multiple women who were trafficked The media outlet said at least five women were involved were allegedly trafficked by a criminal group led by Morel Bolea a Romanian businessman who owns a modeling agency said the women "were in a state of vulnerability with the suspicion that they were exploited within the meaning of Article 182 of the Criminal Code." rose to fame during the 1980s for his roles in action movies A few of biggest roles include hits from the 1990s such as "Cyborg" and "Street Fighter."